Aruba Airwave vs Cisco DNA Center comparison

Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Management Applications category. Hewlett Packard Enterprise is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3, while Cisco is ranked #1 with an average rating of 8.0. Hewlett Packard Enterprise holds a 7.9% mindshare in NMA, compared to Cisco’s 29.7% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Hewlett Packard Enterprise users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 89% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

Aruba Airwave

Read 20 Aruba Airwave reviews

1,963 Views
1,390 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Read 40 Cisco DNA Center reviews

7,170 Views
4,184 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Aruba Airwave

Cisco DNA Center

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Aruba Airwave and Cisco DNA Center based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Network Management Applications solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Aruba Airwave vs. Cisco DNA Center Report (Updated: December 2024).

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Airwave vs. Cisco DNA Center

December 2024

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Helped 823,875 peers since 2012

Categories and Ranking

Aruba Airwave

Ranking in Network Management Applications

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (18th), Network Automation (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of December 2024, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Aruba Airwave is 7.9%, down from 10.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 29.7%, up from 27.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

Prashant-Patel

Senior Presales Consultant - Networking Solutions at Mannai

The solution has multi-vendor support, and it can be used for network management

Aruba Airwave is an on-prem solution, so you have to manage it with your servers to be deployed. You can also deploy it on the cloud if you have your own private cloud. All the configuration guides and the different types of designs you need are available from Aruba Airwave's portal. I would recommend Aruba Airwave to other users. Overall, I rate Aruba Airwave ten out of ten.

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AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It can interact with other vendors better than Cisco, which is a good point of AirWave. It is easy to use, and its reporting is good."

"Aruba Airwave provides a robust solution for monitoring and configuring Wi-Fi networks."

"The most valuable features are the error log and intrusion log. It also provides an overview of your assets. It gives a good database for wireless coverage."

"The technical support services are good."

"The most valuable features of the solution are its dashboard and simplicity."

"The solution is not overly expensive."

"The most valuable feature of Aruba Airwave is the multivendor support, which enables you to manage and monitor different vendors or products."

"This solution is definitely stable."

More Aruba Airwave pros

"The most valuable features were the monitoring, maintenance, and configuration."

"The solution helps in user microsegmentation."

"Cisco DNA Center is a user-friendly solution."

"We can monitor all devices and get the required information using the product."

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

"The solution helps with the management and orchestration of campaigns. It helps with visibility and analytics. I also like its SDA configuration."

"The most valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is the AI (Artificial Intelligence) that provides us with valuable information."

"Cisco VXLAN is a protocol that has been around for some time, but the practical implementation and operational capability of Cisco DNA Center bring it to life."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

Cons

"I would try to integrate more products from different vendors in future releases. Because that's really good features that Aruba Airway has, but it's so limited."

"We encounter delayed ETAs in the manufacturing of hardware."

"I would like to see an integration of services into one system, rather than having multiple systems to do multiple things."

"We're looking for more device compatibility. Like compatibility with third-party devices."

"Its pricing and support could be improved."

"The tool's expensive nature is an area of concern where improvements are required."

"We sometimes have problems with troubleshooting between the GUI and the CLI manipulation."

"The main challenge we've faced with Aruba Airwave is its high cost, especially regarding high availability and failover licenses, which can be relatively expensive for customers. As for recommendations for improvement, considering that Aruba is planning to retire Airwave soon and introduce a new solution, it's crucial that the new product meets or exceeds the current Airwave's feature set. Customers expect a seamless transition without losing any functionality, so Aruba needs to ensure that the new solution is ready with all the essential features and capabilities from day one to avoid any gaps or dissatisfaction among users and partners."

More Aruba Airwave cons

"From the recent DNA point of view, there are some stability challenges with Cisco, but very minor."

"Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco."

"The solution's setup process needs enhancement."

"Integration with analytic tools and API integrations would be ideal."

"The weaknesses primarily involve pricing and the ongoing need for increased bandwidth and data throughput."

"Requires more focus on the digital side of things."

"There should be an option for automation of template deployment by using the stored data. It is not easy to save configuration information for lots of devices without using other tools. There should be a tighter, better repository of information that can be merged with the templates."

"In terms of the clustering part, there are some concerns."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Licensing and pricing are extremely straightforward."

"The licensing cost for Aruba Airwave increased from $72 to $210 within a few months. It would be better if the pricing for the solution were cheaper."

"The tool is expensive. If one is bad or expensive, and ten is very good or cheap, I rate the product's price as a six."

"Aruba Airwave is an expensive solution."

"This product is not expensive."

"The cost is perfect because the devices have a lifetime warranty, and the licensing is good as well."

"It is an expensive solution."

"We must buy a new license to connect more devices to scale up the solution."

More Aruba Airwave pricing and cost advice

"Licensing for Cisco DNA Center is a little bit expensive, just like any Cisco solution. Its cost could still be improved."

"The partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"We get a yearly license at the time we buy the product."

"The tool is medium-priced."

"Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."

"We have a three-year license with them."

"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Government

University

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Aruba Airwave?

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Aruba Airwave?

The tool is expensive. If one is bad or expensive, and ten is very good or cheap, I rate the product's price as a six.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Aruba Airwave?

The tool's expensive nature is an area of concern where improvements are required. The product's scalability can be improved.

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

I would rate the pricing a six out of ten, with ten being expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

One area that needs improvement is the upgrade process. The time required for downloading and installing packages during upgrades is too long, often taking around ten hours. This is a significant i...

See all answers

Comparisons

HPE Intelligent Management Center vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 29% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 7% of the time

Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 7% of the time

Aruba ClearPass vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 5% of the time

SolarWinds Network Topology Mapper vs Aruba Airwave

Compared 5% of the time

More Aruba Airwave Competitors

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 9% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Huawei eSight vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

NetBrain vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Airwave

December 2024

Download Aruba Airwave product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

December 2024

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Also Known As

No data available

DNA Center

Learn More

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Cisco

Overview

Offering granular visibility into wired and wireless networks, AirWave is the only management platform designed with mobile devices and apps in mind. By proactively monitoring the health and performance of all things connected, AirWave lets IT gain the insights they need to support the digital workplace.

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Sample Customers

Henkel, University of Findlay, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Iowa

Information Not Available

Buyer's Guide

Aruba Airwave vs. Cisco DNA Center

December 2024

Free Report: Aruba Airwave vs. Cisco DNA Center

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